Spikers Spank Springfield, 3-2

In an exhausting five-game match of attrition, the Harvard men's volleyball squad outlasted Springfield College last night, 15-8, 8-15, 15-13, 12-15 and 15-7 at the Malkin Athletic Center.

The Crimson's record now stands at 2-1 in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) and 2-2 overall, while the Chiefs dropped to 1-2 in the EIVA and 3-6 overall.

After forging a 2-2 tie in the first game, the Crimson tallied ten straight points--including six under the serving of Julio Toro--before Springfield could break its scoring drought.

The visitors responded by taking six of the next seven points, but the Crimson, with Ian Dyer serving, stopped the visitors' momentum and won the following two points for a 15-8 win.

In the second game, however, the Crimson was unable to put together any sustained rallies, winning three consecutive points on only two separate occasions.

Down 1-0, Springfield tallied a quick five points and never relinquished the lead, en route to a 15-8 triumph.

Unlike the pattern of the first two games, the score in the third game was tied six times--at four, six, eight, nine, 12 and 13--and the lead never exceeded three points.

Costly Harvard violations allowed Springfield to take a 13-12 lead, but a Chief violation and a Scott Neilson block returned the advantage to Harvard, 14-13.

Harvard's Ian Dyer--whose powerful slams kept Harvard in the match all night--ended an exhausting and long rally with another spike into Chief territory, thus sealing the 15-13 victory.

Leading in the fourth game, 8-7, the visitors increased their advantage by tallying five consecutive points. But Harvard--relying on a save by Co-Captain Bobby Kwun and more impressive spikes by Dyer--closed the gap to two points, 13-11, but Springfield rallied for the win.

The fatigue that seemed to plague Harvard in the fourth game disappeared in the finale.